Kellye Y. Testy

Toni Rembe Dean & Professor of Law, University of Washington School of Law

Kellye Testy is the first woman to join the distinguished group of permanent law school deans at the University of Washington. A prolific scholar, outstanding teacher, and experienced dean, Testy came to the UW in 2009. Her research and scholarship focus on contracts, corporate governance, business entities, leadership, and access to justice. She is known throughout academic and legal communities for her dedication to the rule of law and its commitment to justice and equality.

Dean Testy graduated summa cum laude from the University of Indiana School of Law where she was editor-in-chief of the Indiana Law Journal, John H. Edwards University Fellow, Chancellor's Scholar, and member of the Order of the Coif. During law school, she worked for Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, and after graduation, she clerked for Judge Jesse E. Eschbach, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. At the end of her clerkship in 1992, she began her academic career. She joined the faculty of Seattle University Law School and became its dean in 2005.

Dean Testy has received numerous honors and awards, including the President's Award from the Washington State Bar Association, the Washington Women Lawyers, and the King County Women Lawyers. She also received the Washington State Trial Lawyers Public Justice Award and three Outstanding Teacher Awards.

Dean Testy is currently focusing her scholarship on corporate law and governance and on leadership, both topics that for which she is a frequent invited speaker. She serves on the Executive Committee of the American Association of Law Schools and as a board member of a number of legal and civic organizations.